1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for loading grain into open top hopper rail cars or into trucks. Specifically, it relates to an apparatus which attaches to the load out spout of a grain loader for controlling the segregation and distribution of grain while loading such rail cars or trucks.
2. Description of Prior Art
When using a conventional load out spout in loading open top hopper rail cars or trucks, a buildup or core of small materials occurs directly under the load out spout. This buildup creates problems both from a safety and economic viewpoint. The core of small materials causes heat to build up in the core area as air cannot freely circulate between the particles of broken grain and weed seed. Secondly, as the grader of the load takes his samples from the center of the hopper rail car to determine the value of the grain, the samples taken are not representative of the true quality of the grain load as a whole. Thus, the seller of the grain takes an economic loss due to the manner in which a conventional load out spout distributes the grain within the hopper rail car. The present invention eliminates both of these fundamental problems by distributing the whole grain and small materials more evenly, whether loading a hopper rail car or a truck.
The use of baffles and deflectors is not new to the art but often they were used for different purposes than in the present invention. Lyons, in 1906 (U.S. Pat. No. 832,400), invented a grain mixer in which differing grades of grain were fed through a structure of multiple triangular rods to make a more homogenous mixture. A conical deflector first appeared in Sicka's feed mixer and distributor in 1912 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,047,316). He used the apex of a cone shaped spreader, opposing the flow of ore in the distributing chutes, to assist in mixing large and small pieces of ore for the sintering process. Walker, in 1934 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,955,038), in his apparatus for handling material, used a series of vanes, spaced near and along each side of his chute, to maintain the initial mixture of materials as it passed through the chute.
A conical deflector again appears in Winter's patent of 1966 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,416). In his distributor for a conveyor, he utilizes a vertical half frustrum of a right circular cone as a distributor. His purpose was to deliver a uniform mixture of large and small pieces to the conveyor. Spout deflectors having radiating baffles first appeared in Socha's distributing spout in 1968 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,187). He used baffles, which inclined and criss-crossed, to direct the flow of grain. However, unlike the present invention, he made no attempt to segregate portions of the fines.
Cymara's patent of 1971 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,523) reveals the use of deflectors to obtain uniform filling of silos. Unlike the present invention, there is no attempt at segregation of the grain. Similarly, in 1983, Burkner's process and device for distribution of a conveyed flow (U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,230), utilizes an angled plate to feed the flow to the rake-like distributor, but no attempt was made to segregate out any specific portion of the feed, as does the present invention.
As can be seen in the prior art, baffles and deflectors have been used many times to achieve a more homogenous mixture, contrary to the purpose of the present invention, to segregate the grains. In the present invention, baffles and deflectors are primarily used to direct the flow of grain to particular locations in the hopper rail car or truck. Baffles and screens are used in the present invention to segregate the qualities of grain and deflectors are used to direct the flow of the segregated grains to particular locations in the hopper rail car or truck.
Prior art known to this inventor include the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
______________________________________ 832,400 10/1906 Lyons 1,047,316 12/1912 Sicka 1,955,038 4/1934 Walker et al. 3,232,416 2/1966 Winter 3,409,187 11/1968 Socha 3,572,523 3/1971 Cymara 4,377,230 3/1983 Burkner ______________________________________